Taking the Kids: Hitting Coasters with Sometimes Reluctant Kids

Besides, there are plenty of other options, including the junior coasters at parks like LEGOLAND Florida and California and Disney World's expanding Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom -- a great place to introduce kids to a thrill ride. There are more than 135 new attractions and rides this summer, the Association of Amusement Parks says -- everything from the new Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park (www.disneycaliforniaadventure.com) to the 3-D Despicable Me Minion Mayhem at Universal Studios Florida (www.universalorlando.com). There are animatronic dinosaurs (Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, www.ripleyaquariums.com/myrtlebeach, and Cedar Point in Ohio, www.cedarpoint.com) and shows galore, complete with light-up costumes at "iLuminate" at Six Flags Over Texas, www.sixflags.com/overtexas.

Those ready for thrills certainly have their pick. SeaWorld San Diego (www.seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-sandiego) unveils the Manta coaster where riders glide, swoop and dive like a ray through more than 12 twists and turns.

Sit with your feet dangling and turn upside down five times on X-Flight at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Ill., (www.sixflags.com/greatamerica).

You can go up to 75 miles per hour on the new Skyrush at Hershey Park (www.hersheypark.com), the fastest and tallest roller coaster in Pennsylvania. And you'll feel like you're flying on the 210-foot-tall steel coaster the Wild Eagle at Tennessee's Dollywood (www.dollywood.com).

With Manta, SeaWorld San Diego's just opened new attraction (http://seaworldparks.com/seaworld-sandiego), you get the thrill of a double-launch roller coaster with a hands-on animal experience -- multiple twists and turns, and a 54-foot drop. Plus, you see dozens of rays, in the 100,000-gallon aquarium through eight acrylic viewing windows. Reach out and touch them in the shallow pool.

You'll find plenty of thrill rides at water parks this summer too. LEGOLAND Florida's new Water Park has got "twin chasers" enclosed slides, as well as a terrific joker soaker water playground and Duplo Splash Safari for the little ones (http://florida.legoland.com/park-map/legoland-water-park/legoland-water-park/).

Ride the fast-flow tube chute at Schlitterbahn Kansas City Water Park (http://schlitterbahn.com/kc) or the Mammoth, a 1,763-foot-long water coaster, at Holiday World in Indiana www.holidayworld.com).

In case you are wondering, there are very few reported injuries, considering 290 million guests enjoy 1.7 billion rides each year, according to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. To monitor safety and track injuries, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions works with the National Safety Council. The chances of getting seriously injured -- defined as spending a night at hospital -- on a permanently located amusement park ride in the U.S. is 1 in 9 million, IAAPA says.

That said, you have to take responsibility too by obeying all of the height, weight and health restrictions (no instructing kids to stand on tiptoes -- those height restrictions are there for a reason!) Make sure you and the kids keep your hands, arms and legs inside at all times and remain seated until the ride comes to a complete stop. Don't ever allow your kids to wriggle free or loosen restraints.

And if the kids balk when you get to the front of the line, walk away. Tell your child there's always next year.

Just not for me, And, finally, I'm OK with that.

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For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow "taking the kids" on www.twitter.com, where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.